RE "It's not just PVD"
It sure isn't!
And it's not about what-someone-who-got-diaries-did that-he-or-she-shouldn't-have.
At this point,
it isn't even about ratings shenanigans any more...at least not directly.
Look around.
As Dan Rather would say, "pull back and take the wide shot."
TEN DAYS INTO the-most-serious-financial-crisis since The Great Depression, our president will (FINALLY) address the nation, tonight at 9.
The problem isn't about one person or one station or one market.
Radio business is in-the-tank and clearly hasn't bottomed-out yet.
Major station owners' stocks are threatened with de-listing; Clear Channel's new debt has been selling at a discount.
WORLD financial markets are wobbling.
Watch what happens.
Within the next several months, EVERY radio station will be cutting back yet-more.
Figure one on-air position per station...for starters.
If you think it won't happen at your station, then you weren't invited to the meeting.
If the meeting hasn't happened AT your station, the-meeting-ABOUT-your-station is happening in another city.
This isn't about radio.
EVERY business is about to go into spasms.
Only the strong survive.
SMART, resourceful decisions will separate survivors from road kill...in every industry.
At WPRO?
An all-local-all-day host roster, and only one of 'em has a deal that's a lock?
A capable PD who's deftly handled every airshift on the station would make a fine "player/coach."
THIS WILL HAPPEN AT MANY STATIONS where the PD has, until now, been a full-time off-air job.
At WHJJ?
Don't shoot the messenger.
All the speculation about using WSNE's stick to simulcast Talk Radio's biggest stars?
Doing so would take the music format expense to zero.
Admittedly these hypotheticals are speculation.
But CHANGE WILL COME...sooner-than-later, as you'll see by watching the news.
And that's just the-news-we-already-know-about.
ONE MORE unforeseen development, and all bets are off.
When the music stops, one chair will be missing, at EVERY station.
Brace yourself,
HC
www.HollandCooke.com
